John H. Whitney’s work for Glenn Curtiss

1910: Meeting Curtiss

The Los Angeles air meet

From January 10 to 16, 1910, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce put on what they called “The First Aviation Meet Ever In the USA.” For major attractions they had gotten Curtiss and his star pilots Willard and Hamilton and Paulhan, the French star pilot. The Wrights would not participate; they called this “mountebank flying.”

I went to Los Angeles and somehow got a pass to the aviation meet and admission to the "in field" as we called it then of such exhibition. I couldn't get to see Curtiss. He did not want to be bothered with such calls. On the last day, I recall as if yesterday, finally getting to Curtiss as he sat on the mezzanine floor of the then celebrated Alexandrian Hotel. He was sitting with one of his pilots, the famous Hamilton whom I came to know so well later.

Thousands of active eager young chaps would have given anything to get with Curtiss. So infatuated was male youth, and a few female youth, with aviation. Words fail to describe it; stage struck is mild in comparison. I don't think anyone has properly described the mad infatuation with aviation among the youth of the second decade of this century. Some rich men's sons offered to pay money for the privilege of working with Curtiss. So my chances, me a stranger to him, with no ballooning or similar experience, were pretty slim.

I could see he was weary of the endless applicants. Curtiss listened to me a few seconds then dismissed me and turned to talk to Hamilton. I was about to sadly leave when I thought of those panoramic pictures of the Morrell "airship." They might help! I pulled them out and mutely held them out to him.

Saved by the Morrell photos!

Perhaps somewhere, sometime, there has been a human who can resist accepting a photograph when it is held out to him but I never met any such. Curtiss was no exception. He accepted the picture laughingly then his face lighted up and he said, "You are the chap who sent us the pictures of that sausage shaped machine." I remember not only the exact words but his intonation. I revived my almost dead hopes. After a brief chat he told me to see his business manager. I did and was told to stand by until I heard from them.

The photos saved me with Curtiss. He, as usual, referred me to his manager. He always hated details, would pay almost anything and often did to be freed from them so he could get on with his main work. I convinced the manager that I was worth taking on and I was and for these reasons: I could do several things, had a sound engineering education, although for a fact it was of little value in aviation then as aviation was so new there was no "engineering" in it.

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